Brookfield Spa Shooting
The above link goes to a blog that a friend of mine, "Lucy", writes for. She's a domestic violence survivor.
So am I.*
I don't go into it much here. This is not the place. But when you're sitting in the middle of the Parents, Children, and Divorce class your state mandates divorcing parents take, reach the section on domestic violence, and realize that every. single. step. on the cycle of abuse excepting only the man beating you senseless is exactly how you've lived the past decade of your life...
... it all kind of clarifies things a bit. You start to understand why you were always excusing, with "I'm sorry, he's just been so stressed out." "He's only like that when he's drinking." "I shouldn't have pushed him like that. It's my fault really."
It wasn't my fault. Five years ago, I finally realized that.
There is no specific class of person who is abused. Domestic abuse and violence crosses all socioeconomic boundaries, all educational lines, and all gender lines. It is at every level of society, bar none.
Shame is a great silencer. The silence ends here.
Resource Link: Our Place
*Please note that I am NOT in any way referring to Brent/ Choreboy. We only just celebrated our third anniversary, and I cannot believe I am so fortunate as to have finally ended up with such a wonderful man. I didn't want to put this in here, but I wanted even less for people to think that my husband is in any way being referred to in this entry.